| Abstract Scope |
The steel industry contributes ~7% of the global CO2 emissions, largely coming from coke (carbon) used in blast furnaces at ~1600 ºC. Hydrogen offers a promising low-temperature (700-1100 °C) alternative for direct iron ore reduction. Moreover, the production of alloy steels requires the addition of alloying elements (e.g., Mo, V, W, Cr, and Mn) added via ferroalloys. These alloying elements have high energetic and carbon costs when made via carbothermic reduction. Thus, it is desirable to use direct reduction with green hydrogen of metal oxides blended with iron oxide to create ferroalloys. Here, we examine the effect of hydrogen co-reduction of blended oxide powders to produce concentrated master alloys that can be used for the synthesis of high-speed tool steels. Using in-situ and ex-situ detection methods, we investigate the reduction kinetics and the transformation of the oxide blends, including the formation of transient phases, both during and after H2 reduction. |